


A House Is Not A Home

by TheImpossibleGio



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Spoilers, Can I just be Nat's daughter please?, Child Abuse, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, Drug Abuse, Eating Disorders, F/M, Family, Fear, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Parent-Child Relationship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Natasha, Protective Wanda, a bit of both, did I mention lots of angst?, maybe a bit of smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-09 18:05:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4358978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheImpossibleGio/pseuds/TheImpossibleGio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha hates anyone who made her became the assassin she is. She'd do anything so no one have to suffer what she's been through. So, in the most difficult mission of her life, she found confort she never thought she'd had in a way she was never expectig: a little girl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Ok. Hi.  
> I tried my best not to change the plot of the AOU movie, but I had to. So, important things:
> 
> 1- Yeah, I'm sorry guys, Pietro is dead in this story. It's breaking my heart too.  
> 2 - Wanda and Pietro aren't twins in this story, they were only called twins cause it was rare for them to be apart. Also, they are a bit younger. Pietro dies at the age 17, leaving his 14 year old sister. Now Wanda is 15.  
> 3- I tried, guys, but it's Clintasha. I love Bruce and he'll definitely will be in, but not with Natasha.  
> 4- Last but not least, Sam, James and The Vison are not in here. Sorry!
> 
> Oh, and I have to thank sparkinglovingheart, who gave me the idea.  
> Thank you so, so much for bearing with me in your inbox <3
> 
> (Also, English is not my native language, so if you spot any grammar misspelling, just let me know ok?)

The sun was already high in the sky when Natasha woke up. She groaned at the light the burst through her window, making way straight to her eyes. Normally, she wasn't one to sleep into the day, she was a light sleeper and her mornings would start at the slightest sign of any noise. But last night had got to her in a way she didn't expected.

It started with a nightmare. Having nightmares wasn't unusual, but wasn't routine. She'd normally only realize she had had a bad dream after she woke up, her heart pounding faster, her hands trembling. She would only remember abstract scenes like it was something missing. She could never make sense of why these images were so terrifying to be called nightmares and why they'd make her wake up desperately gasping for air, feeling as if she was drowning. But the previous night dream was different and, Natasha knew, this one deserved the proper nightmare title.

It was like she was watching her own flashbacks from the times she'd spent at the Red Room Academy. Nat had had a vision like that before, when the Maximoff twins attacked the avengers while in South Africa, in mission with Ultron. But this time, it was worse. She could see herself, a younger version. She observed as she would be handcuffed to her bed at night, as she would kill girls in their fights, as she was brainwashed even while watching children's movie, as she shot targets and even people. She watched herself grow, to face bigger challenges. And she remember the agony she was going through, just before the ceremony took place. She preferred being killed over lose her dream children. Nat's dream to have kids was one of the few things the Academy wasn't able to clear out of her. She watched as a younger Natasha pretended to fail, in hope they'd kill her off. So she understood what was happening there. She knew what was happening and it was the worst feeling she'd ever felt. She didn't want it to be truth. But sadly, as she watched young Natasha deliberately losing the fight for the third time in a row, she couldn't avoid to say the words she'd once listened from someone she hated.

"Sloppy." the voice wasn't hers, as she'd incorporated Madame B's body "Pretending to fail. The ceremony is necessary."

Then, there it was. The worst moment of her life. The ceremony. Nat couldn't stand to look at it. It was somewhat a relief when, moments later, she woke up. It took all she had to remember where she was. Her hand was instinctively in her stomach, a reminder of everything she lost. It was hard to breathe, and she felt as her eyes filled up with tears that she'd never let anyone see her dropping. The woman took three deep breaths slowly, then turned to the clock in her night stand. 3:48 am. It was late and she wouldn't be able to sleep naturally so soon. She couldn't bear another of those nightmares without going insane, so she turned to the drawer, and picked up some pills that would have her blacked out till morning. And they did. 

Natasha turned once more to the little clock, learning it was a quarter to eleven, then. She started to stretch, trying her hardest not to think about last night dreams. In her way to the bathroom, she heard voices discussing at the living room and knew that something was wrong. She heard some yelling.

"... you out of your mind, we..." 

"... no way in hell you're gonna..."

"You're insane if you think..."

"That's not fair!"

"... yourself killed is not gonna bring..."

Her intuition made her change of clothes to be a fast one, just putting on some jeans and a white t-shirt. She left the room and almost fell when Wanda burst out running and accidentally bumped into her. The girl kept running, only stopping long enough to have a quick apologizing look at Natasha, who watched helplessly while she went to her room and locked the door. The girl seemed to be on the verge of tears, a thing that rarely happened and that made the red-haired woman a bit worried.

"Damn it, Stark!" Steve's voice came from the end of the corridor, he was definitely angry "Was that really necessary?"

"Language!" Tony's words were nothing more than irony, as he seemed not to care. Natasha observed and chose that moment, before Tony got to say something inappropriate to clear her throat and warn of her presence. Steve, Clint and Tony looked back and she could see by their faces that something big was happening there. "Oh. Hi."

"Did I miss something?"

"Nat..." Clint looked at the floor, nervously "You better take a sit"

She furrowed her brows, but she sat down near the others. Trusting Clint, Natasha started feeling nervous seeing him like this.

"Nat. Maria was here earlier. She wanted to talk to you, but couldn't stay for long." Steve stopped and took a deep breath. "Nick sent us a mission. Huh... This is going to be hard, but please listen. It's about the Red Room Academy"

Natasha felt as her heart beat rate increased drastically. "I thought S.H.I.E.L.D. had closed them all."

"They did. Or at least they thought they had." Steve seemed to have a hard time talking these words to the woman "They tracked some of the old member and found out they started a new one." another pause. "They were using..." Steve seemed nauseated for a moment "Kids. Little kids. Mostly from 3 to 6. They killed their parents and took them."

The Black Widow felt dizzy. She put her face on her hands, feeling sick. Kids! They were hurting kids now. When she got to the academy, she was already a teen, she could deal with all the madness. They were hurting babies, for fuck's sake! Nat felt rage take over her body, she felt like she could kill someone, right there, in the spot. She didn't notice while Clint moved and put an arm around her, only when she already was in his embrace, whispering soft words to her.

"Nick wants us to go and finish the base. We leave tonight, and should be getting there in the morning. Thor is on his way and we're trying to find Banner, but it's hard." Steve looked to the floor "We don't know if you..."

"I'm going"

" Nat, are you sure..."

"There's no discussion, Clint. No way you're going without me" the anger took her over and all she could think of was finishing this madness, once and for all. She took her time to breathe before she could say anything "What about Wanda?"

Clint and Steve shot an angry glare at Tony, who groaned before talking "The Academy is at Sokovia and we worry that she won't be able to control her powers."

"And then Tony had to pull the Pietro card"

"You what?"

"I just said that getting herself killed isn't gonna bring her brother back! It's true!"

The woman felt so furious. She clenched her fists, but Clint's hand in her shoulder had a calming effect on her. "I'll handle it. If she wants to come with us, she's coming. And that's it." She didn't stick around long enough to hear the reply, afraid it would make her even more angry. Making her way towards the young girl's room, her mind still hurting with the words Steve had just said, her mind was blank. She had no idea of what she was supposed to say to the girl. She'd have to improvise something.  
"Wanda?" she knocked on her door, smoothly "It's me. Can I come in?"

For a couple of seconds, there was silence. The red-haired waited, she didn't want to press. After Pietro died, the two women had started to get along. Nat knew she wasn't ok, that she held all kinds of feelings inside, but she didn't wanted to push the girl. So, she just waited. Then, there was a small click and the weak voice from inside "Come in"

Slowly, Natasha entered. Wanda was laying on her bed, facing the white wall, holding her knees to her chest, looking down. Her eyes betrayed her, as they were red and puffy. The Black Widow walked to the bed and sat down, stroking her finger through gently through the girl's hair.

"Hey, dear." she looked at her face, slowly, feeling the pain "How are you holding up?" Wanda shrugged, without really replying, feeling that any word might make her come back to crying, and she sure as hell didn't want Natasha to see her in her that state. "Look, Wanda. The others are worried you can't handle yourself, but I think you can." The younger looked at her, curious and insecure. " I really do. So what do you say? Can you come and help us?" the girl paused to think about it. She turned aside to face Natasha and nodded. "That's great. Now try to get some rest, ok? We'll need your batteries full." Natasha couldn't help leaning above the youngest woman and kiss the forehead, before getting up to leave.

She was already by the door when she heard a small, quiet voice, that seemed just about to break into a sob, mumbling 

"Thank you, Nat. Thank you."


	2. Hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Clintasha fluff followed by war (... ish) scenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, if you are in this chapter, it's because you made it through the first and didn't throw up. So, yey, you!  
> So I was afraid of not having time for post tomorrow, so I had to keep writting.  
> So, there you go. It's longer than the first on, so let's see if you guys like it.
> 
> Oh, and I decided all my chapter will have song names. I know it's not important for the story, but I just thought "Meh, why not tell the world, right?" ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

The afternoon went by slowly as it could. Tony had gone home, spend some time with Pepper. Steve seemed focused on a computer game in which you had to be a soldier in the middle of World War 2. Ironically, he wasn't very good at it, which made him politely curse under his breath. Clint had decided to practice by shooting some arrows. Wanda was locked up in her room, not showing up for lunch or dinner. Natasha was sitting on the kitchen alone, thinking about all of them, thinking about herself, thinking about how mean this world could be. She had just finished having lunch and had a glass of White Russian she'd prepared herself. Her mind started wondering on how badly could things go if she just got to Sokovia incredibly drunk. She'd probably kill a lot more, but there was the chance she'd end up dead too. Was that such a bad thing? If it meant saving those children, maybe it was worth getting killed.

Children. Natasha couldn't believe that had happened. Defenseless, pure, innocent children being turned into war machines. Being turned into... Well, herself. Obliged to murder not to be killed. Resting her elbows on the counter, she felt overwhelmed and threw her head into her hands, caressing her own hair, lost in her thoughts.

She didn't knew how long she'd stayed like that, just thinking, scared of everything she'd seen in her dreams and even more scared to know that this was real life and it couldn't fade away. The woman felt lost, something she wasn't used to. She was so deep in her mind, she again, didn't notice as Clint approached from behind till he softly ran his thumb through her cheek. Instinctively, her mouth turned into a little smile. She liked Clint. Really liked. He understood her, had seen all her pain and grief, all the darkness she kept inside and yet, was there for her. Clint was different from anybody else she's ever met. Since the first time they've met, or properly met, without him trying to kill her, Nat knew he was one of the few that she could and would really trust to be by her side. The only trouble was she couldn't tell was if he felt the same way about her, and that was something about to drive the woman crazy.

He took her carefully into his arms. His perfume made her melt and, though she was oblivious to this, her perfume caused the same effect on him. She wanted to pull and kiss him right there, to rip his clothes off, to be with him, really be with him. Biting her lower lip, she swallowed this thoughts, afraid to act upon them at that second. "A penny for your thoughts." Clint mumbled, feeling Natasha's head leaning against his chest. He was certain she'd hear his heart, that seemed to accelerate every time she'd approached him. "You look a bit... distracted"

"I just... I can't stop thinking about... You know." God, even talk was hard near him

Clint nodded, travelling his fingers slowly through Natasha's perfect hair. "Yeah, I... I understand. I mean... I don't understand, understand, like you do. I kind of understand. A bit. Ish." he was babbling, what made Nat smiled a bit. Seeing her friend at loss with words was something that hardly ever happened and every time it did, never failed to make her laugh. "What I meant..."  
"I got it, poet. Yeah..." she let out a sigh, silently "How people can be so cruel, Clint?" her question was filled with hate and pain and he knew was filled with the most horrid memories. If he could, he'd do anything to rescue her from her terrors, but, knowing it wasn't possible, all he could do was being there for her. So, he pressed her in his embrace, giving her the sweetest smile he could, not really answering the woman's question. She finished her drink in one last sip and felt as the alcohol got to her blood, leaning even more to Clint.

"Easy there, my lady" he took a hold of her and smirked at how adorable she looked. Natasha yawned, which was ironic, judging by how much coffee liquor she had put in her drink. "Tired, huh? Maybe you should lay down a bit before tonight."

"Yeah, that's probably smart"

"To the room we go, then." He followed her to her bedroom and started struggling with the idea that he would have to let go of her. So, he did. "Get some rest, Nat."

He was about to go to his own room, at the end of the hall but her voice made him stop "Clint, wait." Natasha hesitated, not knowing how her friend would take the next words. She gathered all her courage and blurted out "Last night, I had a nightmare. A... A bad one. Would you mind... You know... Staying?"

He felt like his smile could light up a whole room "Sure. Yeah. No problem." He opened the door, taking a hold of it for Nat to go ahead in front of him "My lady." She laughed and bowed towards him "My lord."

They made their way to her bed and he could feel his heart beating like it wanted to pull out of his chest. She proceed to go to her bed, skillfully taking off her shoes and already putting her feet into the blanket. He did the same, slowly. He was afraid if he laid with her, he could have a boner. He was a bit ashamed to admit it, but Nat was always something that made him turned-on. Trying his hardest not to do anything that seemed stupid or could pull Natasha away, he went to bed. The woman then pulled the covers over them and rested her head once again on his chest. He smiled and turned his neck to rest his head over hers. In that moment, they both felt like nothing could ever harm them. In that moment, as an book author had already written once, they really were infinite.

 

 

Thor was already in the living room with Steve and Tony, all of them sitting around the TV, watching Whiplash, once Natasha and Clint woke up. The Iron Man looked at the couple and couldn't help but give them an wry smile. "It was about time, you two!"

They both blushed and decided to ignore as Tony laughed with Steve. Clint gave Thor a respectful hand shake and excused himself, making way to his room to change into his mission clothes. Natasha, already dressed up, smiled at Thor and sat down, nervous about what she'd have to face in Sokovia. "What time are we going?"

"Nick requested us to leave at 23:45, precisely" Thor's voice sounded like a thunder in the room

Nat nodded and checked her watch, verifying that she'd still have around fifty minutes to suffer waiting. She left the boys to their movie and went to the kitchen, knowing she'd need all her strength to go through what S.H.I.E.L.D had asked. Grabbing a Cup Noodles from the cabinet and a warming a cup of water, she prepared herself dinner and ate in silence, lost in her thoughts and mainly thinking about people that really mattered to her, till Hawkeye, properly dressed, came near her again. "Clint, have you seen Wanda?"

"She's still in her room, I guess"

"Oh... I'm worried about her. She didn't came out since morning. Maybe I should go talk to her."

"Nat. Don't worry" he touched her face, gently "Finish eating. I'll go."

"Thank you." He left and she drowned again in her own mind, left to hear the musical sound and some yelling coming from the movie. She ate, tasting every bite, forcing herself not to think any negativity for their challenge. She heard small footsteps coming from the corridor and smiled as she saw Wanda with Clint. They arrived at the kitchen, making the older women stand up "Hey there kid." she pressed Wanda's hand lightly "What do you want to eat?"

The teen shook her head "I'm not hungry, thank you" She seemed a bit pale, what caused Natasha and Clint to furrow their brows, worried. They shared a look and Clint took front in saying "Are you sure, Wanda? You need to be strong. We could make you-"

"Guys" Thor's voice echoed from the living room "It's time" Wanda shared a look with the couple and, with a sad smile, said "Let's go, then" before walking out of the kitchen, in the direction of the terrace with the rest of the Avengers. 

One by one, they all climbed at Stark's plane, but what they were nothing expecting was to see another person there. Doctor Bruce Banner was shyly looking at the floor. "Hi. Fury asked me to come." He shook hands with the guys and giving each of the two girls a hug as a hello. and FRIDAY started to prepare for departure. Clint held Nat's hand, sweetly sharing an encouraging look with her. 

It was a two hour flight. As they started approaching their destination, Natasha unite the team to explain the Academy routine towards their students. "... And by night, the tutors handcuff the kids to the bed." They all looked to Natasha in solidarity. It was the first time the woman would talk about her past and the experiences she's gone through, they knew how hard it was for her to open up, especially in such terrible conditions. Clint refused to drop her hand for a single second, as he was the only one there who had seen, once in a mission the two of them shared, as Nat woke up scared in the middle of the night. She tried her best not to make any noise, but he was awake and could see the fear in her eyes. That was the first time Clint Barton realized he was hopelessly in love with his best friend. "So, Clint and Steve, you guys have to go in first and take the children out. According to the files, there will be an undercover agent from S.H.I.E.L.D. on the outsides of the building, ready to take them somewhere safe. After that, the rest of us will go in." she paused, her eyes turning assassin's eyes "And if you don't mind, I'd like to have the director"

 

 

The lights begun to go out on the house in the end of the main street in Sokovia. After the war against Ultron, Sokovia was left in pieces and even the investments of Stark's funds could help populate the city as much as it was months before. Most of the population saved for S.H.I.E.L.D. had asked to move for other countries with the help of the organization, so that was the only properly built house. It was a master-piece of architecture. The few inhabitants around had their suspicions about who could live there, but they never dared to try and trespass the metal grid that separated that place from the war wrecks.

In the third floor, a man sat in his bed, coldly looking to the security cameras on his computer screen. The last children had just been handcuffed to the bed and the tutors were making their way to their own quarters. He nodded happily. Another quiet day. Looking down to his notebook, he wrote two names, Lena Bouska and Kaspar Plachtav. They were weak and their burial had been fast. The man, Ivan Zalesky, was Russian, strong and determined, and he'd taken The Red Room Project into his own custody when his partners were arrested and the previous academies closed down. His philosophy was that he was that when the end of time came, the world would need soldiers, not children, so he was really doing this kids a favor. So, he was on his knees, saying his prayers in his room when the first camera, in the children's room went dark, an arrow going straight to its lens.

Hawkeye and Capitan American entered the room and, silently, they instructed all the children to be quiet, that they were there to help them. Then, one by one, they released them from their beds. "Hawkeye here. Anyone copy" Clint whispered to the device in his ear while Steve helped the infants get outside to a platform that led them directly to Simon, the under covered agent.

"Loud and clear, Katniss." Tony's voice had, as always, a jokingly tone. Clint mentally cursed the time he'd let Tony see The Hunger Games.

"We've released th-" His phrase was cut short to the sound of footsteps coming directly at them "And we've got company. Hurry."

Around thirty armed tutors ran in their direction and started shooting. Steve instructed the little ones to keep leaving and ran in an attempt to help Hawkeye, who had jumped into the kids' beds and was shooting arrows at the enemies. Capitan America threw his shield, taking five of them down and defending his partner from getting shot. Clint got an aim in another six. And then there was a huge explosion downstairs.

The distraction made another ten go down by the hands of Steve and Clint. They ran through the hallway, seeing as their friends made their ways through the halls, demolishing every bit of the house, taking down around fifty guards. Steve, mentally, thanked the fact the children were all out, because Banner morphed into the Hulk and he seemed angry, smashing every piece of the institution. Iron Man went in front, using his suit to fly and check into the rooms they hadn't gone in, looking for other students of the Academy. Thor and his hammer were behind, with Wanda, taking guards down so that Simon could safely move the kids. Natasha had her eyes burning with rage. She took down as many fighters as she could but her focus was to get in the main authority room.

Ivan was prepared and received her with two rifles in hand. He pressed the trigger and time seemed to stop for Natasha. She was certain that she'd die right there, in the worst place she could imagine being. The Black Widow was nervous. After all she's been through with these people, she certainly deserved a better place to go. He should go by her hands, not the other way around. But she couldn't do anything. She could just watched as her demise was coming and hope it would end fast. Then she closed her eyes and waited for the pain of the bullets.

But the pain never came. Her eyelids shot open, surprised. Wanda was there. The Scarlet Witch's hands were trembling while projected a force field, making her best to protect her friend from certain death and the woman could never thank her enough. Ivan's eyes grew wider and angrier each wasted bullet. His ammunition was running out and he knew he had no chance to change before the red-haired got to him, so he started taking steps back. When he finally ran out of bullets, he took a pistol from his drawer and tried to shot as The Black Widow approached. But he had no chance. She got a hold of him, pinned him to the ground and stabbed him, fully raged. Even after she made sure he was dead, she didn't stop. She just kept on and on, letting the tears she had held for so long ran through her face.

"Nat" a soft voice came through her communicator, making her stop and feel calm.

"Clint. He's dead. It's over"

"We're already in the plane. Steve's been shot. The house is about to go down. Are you with Wanda?"

"Yeah, she's with me"

"Come on then, time to go home"

Natasha fell on her knees, thinking that it was over. Not a single children would be harmed anymore. No one would turn into what she was. She couldn't express the power these words had on her. She turned her head in direction to her savior. "You were ama-" she felt her heart jumping as she spotted the young girl's body resting on the floor. She remember the pistol and the shots she was able to deflect so easily. She ran to the body, mumbling "No, no, no, please, no." and felt a wave of relief as she saw she was still awake and that the bullet had only hurt the girl's arm. "Wanda. Oh, Wanda." The girl was more pale than before, but her lips held a smile.

"You did it" she mumbled back to the elder woman.

"We did it. Now c'mon." Nat took the girl in her arms and lifted her, surprised that she wasn't as nearly as heavy as she was expecting. "Let's go home, shall we?"

 

 

Back in the plane, Banner, already in full control and human form, received them, acting fast to clean and bandage Wanda's wounded arm and then going back to watch on Steve. Tony made the plane go up, Thor sitting next to him. Natasha was trying to recover from her own nightmares, lost in Clint's embrace.

The young girl sat on a chair near the window. She didn't said to Bruce or let Natasha see, but she had been shot one other time, in her leg, and she felt like she was about to pass out at any moment Her wounds were painful, but there was something worse. She'd never admit it, especially to Tony, but seeing Sokovia destructed had had a rough effect on her. She had lived most of her life in those streets and it just wasn't the same. Sokovia was broken. It wasn't home anymore.

They slowly passed over the house they've where the just been. It was completely destroyed, most of the wood from the foundation helping a small fire to spread. It hardly seemed war had ended with that sight. Wanda couldn't help but stare at what they've done. She knew it was the right thing to do, but something inside her still felt so out of place.

Then, she saw it. She wasn't sure, she couldn't even tell certainly. But she couldn't think of anything else. She could be hallucinating, so she took another look. No. It was true. It was there. Under the ruble of the house, there was a child, and she couldn't just do nothing about it. She stood up, limping, using all her strength and walked towards one of the corridors of the ship. She took a deep breath, looked the couple hugging in the eyes and mumbled two simple words "I'm sorry". The last thing she heard was Natasha's scream as she leaned into the emergency door locker and out of the plane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's 3 am and I can already see the huge mistake it was not to leave it for tomorrow (I mean, today, but later) as I have to wake up early tomorrow.
> 
> Anyways, here it is! So, if you enjoyed, don't be afraid to leave kuddos and comment, please?  
> Thank you all so much for reading!


	3. Before My Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermaths of Wanda's jump and someone new apears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, can I say I struggled like hell to get this chapter done and I think it's unfair that I still hate it?  
> Idk, maybe I need a hug.
> 
> Aaaaanyways, I'm pretty happy I could find a song that fits in here and even happier that the song is sang by the one and only Scarlett Johanson!  
> So, there you go.

She had closed her eyes. The pain in her body seemed the most natural thing in the world for a moment. She couldn't care less. She was finally flying. All those years, dreaming, wondering, what it'd be like to fly like this, and she did it. She had really done it! For a second, her thoughts started to misled her, trying to convince her she was just dreaming. But it wasn't. She could feel the cold wind in her skin. Then, she opened her eyes and it was all too real. Oh fuck. What was she doing? She hadn't thought it through. She just felt like she had to do something with her life. Have adventures, take a leap. And she did. It just happened to be from an plane 45.000 feet away from the ground.

And it was so easy: first jump, then think. But, in real life, wasn't that simple. In real life, each second, she was a second closer to falling to her own death.

Would it be that bad, though? She had realized that afternoon she couldn't care less if she died. First, her parents had gone and now Pietro. She had no family, nowhere to run, not even a place she could call home. Dying hardly seemed like a bad option at that point. Life was a game and, lately, she had been losing. Maybe it was about time for a Game Over. But she felt alone in the world and that feeling was eating her alive. No one should be allowed to feel this. So, yes, she could die. But only after she saved that child.

Wanda felt she was getting closer and closer to the ruins - at least she had jumped over the right spot! - faster than she had expected. With her arm raised above her head, she got into a defensive position. She had an idea and knew it could go terribly wrong, but for seconds, she had this insane feeling that it could work. The girl, then, took a really deep breathe, feeling a hint of fear starting to insinuate in the back of her mind. It had to work. It had to work.

It partially did. The force field she projected absorbed most of the impact of the fall, but not as much as her plan had first predicted. The fall had a hard effect on her. The pain quickly spread all over her body and, for the first seconds, her vision was blurred. Her left arm, in which she had landed on, it was definitely broken and the girl whimpered with the acute ache, that seemed too much to handle. She felt her head spinning as she'd struggle to get on her feet with only one hand to support her, feeling while a severe headache was making it hard to think. Her stomach felt like it was turning inside her and instinctively, she vomited her body fluid and the water she had drank in the morning. She cleaned her mouth into her own sleeves and tried to walk, which was revealed to be a hard mission, as she'd feel like passing out at any minute. She could lay down, close her eyes again and give in to the temptation of the slumber.

A little voice made her fight. Again, she couldn't be sure she wasn't hallucinating, but she could swear she listen small screams for help. The teen couldn't help but resist a little longer listening to the pleas. It was a child. A scared, alone child. No one deserved to feel alone and, if she couldn't help the rest of the world, nothing would stop her from helping that one little person. 

With all the strength she could gather, her legs struggled to follow the girl's commands. Left, right, left, right, one at the time, always ahead. Each step would seem harder than the previous and it seemed, despite how hard she was trying, she was stuck at the same spot. Left, right. Left, right. One step at the time. The voice sounded closer now. She couldn't give up. Left, right. Left, right. Pietro had done the same, he'd given his life for a child's. It was her turn to follow her older brother's steps. Left, right. Left, right. The pain in the leg that had been shot was almost unbearable. She just wanted to stop, but didn't. She could see the blurred contour of a child. It was a little girl. Left, right. Left, right. The last words Pietro said to her were echoing in her ears. "You know, I'm twelve minutes older than you" he'd said and, at that time, she couldn't help but smile at him. Left, right. Left, right. "Pietro. I'm doing this for you, brother." Left, right. Left right. And she couldn't even believed she had made it.

The kid was indeed a girl. Small, probably around her four or five years old, with all the attributes for being one of the most beautiful infants The Scarlet Witch had ever seen in her life. She had a blond, curly hair attached in a braid. Her face was bruised, in her forehead a large cut spreading blood through her left cheek and her neck. Her eyes revealed she had been crying, though she was very quiet near the older girl. She looked as if she was about to faint at any minute as well. She looked at Wanda, curiously.

"You... fell from the sky." the girl spoke slowly, in a perfect English.

"I did." Wanda wasn't sure if it was a question, but she said it anyway. She looked at the kid for a moment, gasping desperately for air "I came to help you." The little one's eyes shone, but she looked suspicious. "Why? Who... Who are you? Are you... An angel?"

"Far from that" she giggled a bit, feeling her body getting weak each second " Why are you still here?"

A huge noise was getting the best of her mind. She couldn't think, she didn't even know where it was coming from. She forced herself a step forward and finally understood the kid's presence. The blonde girl's leg had been crushed under a massive piece of metal and she was stuck. Wanda looked at it and slowly sighed. She had one chance to take that off and, weak as she was, she didn't know if it was possible.

But she needed to. For Pietro, she needed to show she could. "T's okay. Hang on, tight, ok?" The Scarlet Witch felt her focus entirely on that burden to the girl's leg. It was hard. Each moment she was on her feet, it seemed the world was moving a bit faster and it was nauseating. She held on to the last of spark she had to fight her and moved her good hand, concentrating hard move the metal, as red rays glowed through her skin. It was heavy, what made her scream in agony and the girl cry silently. The noise, that now she could recognize as being behind her, was getting louder with a wicked wind and her headache screamed. She didn't surrendered, screaming and watching as the shape of a bed pure metal bed would set the child's leg free.

Wanda fell on her knees next to the youngest girl. She did it. Again, she did it. She couldn't move anymore, it had been too much. One more time, she threw up, feeling as all liquids would leave her body and her headache would sharpen even more than she thought it was possible. The loud sound stopped, much for her approval. She look at the small kid, smiled and then she couldn't control her body from fell entirely, losing consciousness and drifting into the darkness on her mind.

 

 

No one on Stark's plane could have expected what had just happened. Wanda simply threw herself off and all there was left was Natasha's scream of "no" in horror. Bruce ran into the room and, once he realized what had just happened, there were a collective silence as they all stared, speechless and astonished, as the machine replaced the door that, just like Wanda, had just fell through the airs. They couldn't believe what their eyes had just seen.

"Ok... What the fuck?" Tony's voice sounded confused and angry what made the other three people who were next glare at him "Did that brat just killed herself in my plane?"

These words had an rough effect in Natasha and she knew she was about to lose it and snap at Tony but then, she didn't had to. "You have to be kidding me, right?" Thor's voice was strong, powerful and deep. "A girl just had enough in her mind to make her jump from your vehicle and that's what you're thinking? Your plane?!" his last word was out like a kind of swearing and, before Tony could reply, he had a stern voice. "You will turn this machine back. Now."

"She's probably dead out there!" Being honest, he didn't wanted that to be true. He wished she was alive but knew that if Wanda was dead, especially by her own hands, that could sooth his guilt. The man would never admit it out loud, but he felt responsible for her parents death. "Look..."

"No." Natasha had fire in her eyes. Clint tried to stop her, but it showed to be useless. The Black Widow's patience ran out and in three seconds Stark had a pocket knife swinging dangerously next to his throat, what made Clint and Thor gasp in fear. He looked at Natasha, unable to contain his heart to accelerate. He knew Nat and what she could do, so his next words sounded unsure. "You wouldn't." 

She then gave him a cold-hearted look that he felt it was so sharp it could cut through wood. "You wouldn't believe how easy we could replace you, Tony." She sounded serious, so the man just nodded and the knife retreated. "Then, here's the plan. You're going to shut up and turn this thing around. We will take that girl, alive, and bring her home with us. Understood?" 

Once again, he signalized his understanding with his head and started working on finding a place where they could safely park the great ship. Thor stood by her side and lightly pressed her shoulder, saying without words she had done the right thing for the girl. She gave him a sad smile while she walked directly into Clint's arms, already open for her body.

"She'll be ok, Nat" he whispered in her ear while they hugged, knowing what she needed to hear in that moment "She's tough. She wouldn't just jump without a plan or something." he didn't know if that was the true, but both of them wanted to believe it really was. 

The vehicle started to turn around slowly. Each passing minute, Natasha felt she was going to explode. She shouldn't have got so attached to a teenager that isn't even related to her but she just couldn't help. Wanda reminded her of a younger and scared version of herself, someone who lost everything she cherished in the world and felt alone and scared. The woman had been cold for too long and now she decided she wanted to help, to be there for the girl. "And I just wasn't there for her when she decided to jump to her death." that thought made Nat bite her lips and close her eyes against Clint's shirt, drowning herself on the feeling she was safe in his arms to forget the feeling she was a terrible friend for Wanda.

As they descended, the scenario became clearer. Natasha and Clint ran to the window, with hope in their hearts, and let out a relief sigh as they saw a body moving. They weren't certain but it sure seemed like it was...

"She is alive." Clint mumbled, happily "She's alive!"

Clint saw the smile of happiness in Nat's face and, before he could think it through, she grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her lips. The whole world seem to stop and when they split apart, after the man realized what he had done, Natasha looked at him with an astonished glare.

"I... I... Oh god, Tasha, I'm so..."

"Don't you dare complete that sentence" 

Much for his surprise, she closed her eyes and kissed him once more, with all the desire she had kept for themselves for the last years. It just felt so right for them to be together that the woman felt she didn't wanted it to ever end. 

"Hey, love birds. Get a room" Tony had a smirk in his face, mockingly, to what Clint responded raising a middle finger in his direction. "We're about to land, anyway."

The kiss stopped and the couple smiled at each other, the Black Widow's cheek slightly blushing. Clint slowly let his finger caress his best friend's face and placed one last  
kiss, a fast one in the lips. "Let's go save that messed-up kid, shall we?"

 

 

Everything was white and though it may seem like a cliché, when Wanda woke up, she started asking herself if she had died. She blinked a couple of times, trying to understand what was happening. In an attempt to move, she felt the pain invading her. Her memories came suddenly flooding her mind. Did it really happened? Had she actually jumped off of a plane? Scared, the girl saw the machines plugged in her and tried to set herself free.

"Hey, hey!" a smooth known voice mad her stop "Easy there, kid." Dr. Helen Cho smiled at her, putting her hand over the girl's body to make her lay down. "You had a hell of a day, huh? What you need now is to recover."

"Helen..." her voice found difficult to make its way out of Wanda's throat.

"Yes, darling, it's me."

"How long... How long I've been here?"

"Around two days. You had a concussion, two broken ribs, a broken arm and some minor bruises. How are you feeling?"

"Like I fell from a plane" a smile made her way to the girls face, but before she could think of anything else, her mind flew to the latest events "The girl. Where...?"

"Oh, the child? She's here, asleep now. Insisted she'd come with you. She's ok, minor bruises and some broken bones. She'll recover."Helen smiled and Wanda sigh, nodding. "Who is she?"

"It's... A long story."

"Oh" The doctor nodded her understanding and didn't ask any more questions, what made the teen smile. Helen always knew what to do. "Now... Just stay there, ok? There's someone who wants to see you."

Wanda closed her eyes and threw her head slowly in the pillow as Helen walked away, feeling her good hand moving slowly and a migraine burn her head whole. She couldn't believe. It was real. And she saved the girl. It was all happening too fast.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she opened her eyes to find a very serious Natasha by her bedside "You could have died. Do you know that?"

"I..."

"We were worried sick about you." the Black Widow seemed to disarm herself emotionally in that moment, becoming just Nat. "Why did you do that, Wanda?"

There was a moment of silence and tension and then two tears ran from the girl's eyes "I couldn't leave her alone." she closed her eyes once again, pressing her eyelids together strongly "She was hurt and alone. I couldn't leave her"

Suddenly, her body was embraced by the older woman arms and she felt the warmth surrounding her. She felt better in that moment than she did in weeks. "I'm sorry, Nat. I didn't thought..."

"It's ok, милый. You're safe now. I promise." and Natasha intended to keep that promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said, I hated this chapter. But thank you all for reading and I hope you guys like it.  
> Again, I apologize for any writing mistakes.  
> Kudos and comments are always welcome!
> 
> Oh, and just so you guys know: милый means "dear" or "darling". For obvious reasons, it's Russian.


	4. Safe and Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little slow? If you don't like it, oh well.  
> Of course there's angst. There's always angst. I'm the queen of the angst. Oh, that's a rubbish title, forget that title.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hello! I've been away for centuries and I'm so, so sorry!  
> So, what happened was that I had an audition, my computer broke down and I went travelling.  
> I kinda had to write this chapter three times in the last days. Erm.  
> AAAAAAAAAAAAANYWAYS. Thank you all for the patience.
> 
> My special thanks to one of my best friends, Stephany, who was my beta-reader, and most of all, was patient enough to sit by my side for hours while I wrote this and struggled with writer's block. You're the best.
> 
> Hope you guys like it!

The visit hours were busy at the nursery. Natasha said she would spend the night over with the girl and refused to leave. In the afternoon, Clint came by and, as he hugged the girl, he started telling her how worried they were since last night. She smiled and apologized, which he responded with a caring smile. Some nurses then came to change the girl’s bandages and the two adults chit-chatted about the destruction of the Academy in a hushed voice. Before he got out, he placed a kiss in Wanda’s forehead. He and Natasha exchanged a glance and she couldn’t help but smile. They hadn’t even talked about their kiss, but they’d have to, soon. The teenager let out a sarcastic laugh and Natasha groaned

“What?”

“Nothing! You guys form a cute couple, that’s all.”

For the first time since she knew the red-haired, she saw something new. The woman was embarrassed, her face blushing, at loss for words. “W-We’re not… I mean, we… Oh, shut up!” the woman then proceeded to pretend she was really interested in a gossip magazine

The girl giggled, slowly. “Yeah, sure”

There was a knock on the door and Thor came in. Gently, he greeted the woman and the girl and told her how stupid she had been but also complimented her on her bravery. He left and another knock sent Pepper and Tony in. Pepper approached first, hugging Nat, then Wanda and lecturing her about what she had done before giving her a tight hug. She never could tell why, but she was fond of the girl. Tony, who was uncharacteristically quiet, only let out a simple “I’m-glad- you’re-okay-kid” avoiding Natasha’s gaze and, in a few minutes, they were out the door. The girl looked at the other woman, curious.

“Did I miss something or did Tony seem a bit…?”

“We had a slight disagreement in the plane after you left.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Nah, it’s ok.”

“So… Where’s Bruce?”

“He spent the morning meditating and said he would take a nap after lunch. According to him, it helps to control the big guy.”

“Oh, ok. How about Steve? Is he better?”

“He’s getting better. He was shot in the neck, barely missed his Carotid artery. A few inches to the left and he’d be dead by now. The Cradle did wonders to him, he’s almost fully recovered.”

“Hey! How come he can use the Cradle but I can’t? I’d heal way faster, you know?”

“Yeah, consider your punishment for trying to kill yourself from a plane and nearly scaring me to death.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, mom!”

Natasha felt her blood freeze and her heart drop. She knew it was just a joke and that she shouldn’t feel like that but even the mention of the word got her paralyzed. She felt catatonic and all she could do was keep staring at the floor, as her mind flooded with memories of the graduation “ceremony” and the time she still dreamed about having kids. She never expected that the first person to ever call her “that” would be a fifteen year old. Actually, a fifteen year old orphan.

“Natasha? Oh fuck. Nat. Nat! Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!”

The machine analyzing the girl’s heart rate started beeping louder and faster, which pulled the older woman out of her trance state, automatically making herjump out of the couch to stand by her bedside. “Hey, missy, take it easy, ok?” the Black Widow’s fingers ran softly through Wanda’s hair. It was just a joke, wasn’t it?  
“What, trying to have a heart attack before your old mother?” the teen calmed down and, jokingly, pushed her tongue out at Natasha. “Oh, yeah? You’ll see!” the woman started to merciless tickling the girl, not stopping until with her laughs, she let out a moan of pain.

“Hey, easy there cowboys! No more wounds in my watch!” even though she was trying to sound stern, Doctor Cho’s tone always had a hint of tenderness “Hey, kid. We need your help.”

Wanda frowned, slowly “What happened?”

“The kid woke up. We tried talking to her but she refuses to say anything. The only thing she keeps saying is ‘the girl’, over and over. I assume she’s talking about you. So, we think…”

“That she’s gonna talk to me.”

“Yes. Would you help us?”

She nodded and Helen smiled, leaving and coming back a few moments later with the blond girl. Her head was bandaged and her leg was held by a cast. She looked even smaller than before. Natasha observed, curious.

After they landed, the Black Widow had been the first to spot the two girls and run in their direction, followed by Hawkeye. Seeing them with eyes closed made Natasha’s mind panic, as she expected the worse. She knelt next to Wanda and took her pulse, feeling as the teen’s heart beat filled her with relief and let her fingers travel slowly through her hair. A moan of pain took helped bring her back to reality and she looked at the child. Nat exchanged a look with the man, who knelt beside her, kissed her forehead and gave her a nod in consent, as taking the teenager from her arms to his. She smiled and, slowly, made her way to the blond girl, kneeling to her eyes’ height.

“Hey. Hi. ” The girl opened her eyes, scared and, impulsively, buried her fingers in the house’s wreckage. “It’s ok. Don’t be afraid. I’m here to help, ok? Can you understand me?” she looked to the red-haired woman and nervously nodded. “Are you hurt?” one more nod. ” Why were you here? Did you live here?” before she could answer, Clint yelled and warned Natasha he would take Wanda to the plane, to which the woman only nodded. This caused a reaction on the girl, making her let out a small, almost inaudible, cry each step he took away from them. “What’s wrong? Do you want her? Do you want to be with her?” her third nod came energetically, which made her little face turn paler than it already was. “Ok then. Can you move?” The girl made an attempt, only to feel the pain of her leg burning through her whole body. She shook her head ‘no’ and, even though Natasha could see she had tears in her eyes, she didn’t cry, what made the adult feel like hugging her. Nat frowned. This was new to her. She pushed these thoughts away and focused on having control of the situation. “Don’t move, don’t move. It’s ok. I’ll take you to her, I promise.” Slowly, she took the girl in her arms, finally seeing the damage in her leg, bruised with several purple marks, and lifted her, surprised how light she was and feeling as her small body trembled against the woman’s chest. Every movement made her let out small gasps in pain, which made Natasha even more careful with each step she gave. The way was long and slow. By the time they reached the plane, the kid had lost consciousness. Nat gave her to Thor’s care, who took her with Wanda to the Care Center. 

The woman never got to hear the youngest girl voice or know her name, but she couldn’t help but worry about her, as much as she did with Wanda. To see her awake and well came as a huge alleviation.

“Hi” Wanda smiled while pressing a button to lift the upper part of her bed, making a sign for the girl to get closer. She obeyed and, hesitantly, made her way to the elder’s girl bedside, in the opposite side to the Black Widow. Dr. Cho was fast to bring two chairs, placing one for her to sit and the other to hold her leg upwards, and sat next to Nat “Are you feeling better?” she signed yes, shyly. “We weren’t introduced. I’m Wanda. And this is Natasha. And you know Doctor Helen Cho”

“I’m Victoria” Listening her voice for the first time made Wanda and Helen smile and Natasha’s heart melt.

“Hello, Victoria. It’s nice to meet you.” Natasha’s voice assumed a sweet tone that Wanda had never seen before and it made her smile. The deadly Black Widow actually had a soft side! There was a small silence and the two Avengers were surprised to hear the girl’s voice breaking it.

“Thanks” The little girl stared Natasha and back again to Wanda. “For saving me.”

“Oh.” Wanda felt speechless, her face blushed. “It’s ok. Do you remember what happened?”

“I… I was leaving. Then they attacked and I hide under the bed. And then it got stuck to my leg.”

“The bed, right?” Dr. Cho felt just as curious as the two fighters.

“Yes.” There was a pause and she suddenly pointed at Wanda. “She’s my Rosie.”

The women shared a confused look but the girl didn’t explain. Afraid it might end the conversation, none of them asked. “How old are you, Victoria?” The Black Widow knew it was a question she didn’t wanted the answer, but she had to know. The kid raised five fingers up and Natasha felt her heart burn with a warm rage against anyone who thought it was fine to hurt a child this small. Feeling the older woman was about to explode, the Scarlet Witch continued “Where are your parents?”

The kid seemed hurt and, right away, Wanda wanted to take the question back, tell her it wasn’t that important. But she needed to know what had happened, so she waited. “I don't know. They're gone.”

“I’m… I’m so sorry.” Helen had tears in her face, but maintained her posture. “Sweetie, I know it’s hard. But can you tell us what happened?”

It took a few minutes. Her eyes filled with tears and words seemed stuck in her throat. But she started talking.

“We were travelling. It was night. The car broke and when papa and mama went to fix. Then I heard mama scream. When I woke up, I was in the house.” she felt like she couldn’t speak anymore and a silent tear fell. The pain in her face was racking. She bit her lower lip, unable to fight her tears, now falling freely. Natasha couldn’t control herself anymore. She made her way to the girl and took her into her arms, giving her a hug and caressing her hair as she mumbled comfort words “It’s ok, you’re safe. It’ll be alright, принцесса. We won’t let anyone hurt you anymore. I promise, it’s ok, you’re safe.”

Eventually, Victoria’s tears and sobs went quiet and her breathing got slower. She cuddled in the Black Widow’s arms, who, after blushing, unsure of what to do, held the kid in her arms. Wanda and Helen muffled an ‘awn’ and the doctor smiled through her tears.

“What does that word mean?” the blond girl was looking at the floor, with her head clutched against Nat’s chest, hearing her heart beats

“Oh, принцесса? It means ‘princess’.”

“Mama used to call me like this! Papa too, sometimes. And Rosie.”

The women looked at Victoria, curious and Natasha tried to maintain her tone as if it was part of the original conversation. “Yes? And who is Rosie?”

“She’s my sister.”

This news came was quite a shock and there was silence. “Oh, yes? How old is she?” the girl seemed to think and put up nine of her fingers. “And where is she, принцесса?”

“A girl hurt her in a fight and she didn't came back. I miss her.” Victoria's eyes filled with tears and Natasha had to use all her strength not to scream in anger. She knew that happened, she had seen, way too much actually. “She promised she’d watch over me.” Vic looked at Wanda. “I asked for her. And you came. You are my Rosie, aren’t you?”

She didn’t know what she was supposed to say. It should feel wrong. She wasn’t her sister, after all. She should explain it was a misunderstanding. But right there, in that moment, that was one thing she knew: how it was to lose and want someone back. Especially a sibling. And if she could avoid that that little girl felt this pain, she definitely would.

“Yeah. I can be Rosie. I’ll be your sister.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading.  
> As I said, this chapter is slower and angster. Now, I kinda don't have a much of a plot to continue, only a few scatered ideas. So, if you have a suggestion, now is your time to shine and help me not to give up here, please?  
> Kudos and comments are always welcomed. Don't be shy.


	5. Start Of Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty much Natasha/Wanda hurt/confort and a bit of fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi.  
> So, I've been having a couple of harsh days and all I can do is drown in writing, even though I hate what comes out of it. These are the bad news. Good news? Expect more chapters in the next few days.  
> First of all, I'd just like to give this HUGE shoutout to sparkinglovingheart (who gave me this prompt, sorry if it isn't as good as you've imagined) and Grimnarin who are always giving me the strength I need to go on on my inbox. That means the world to me. Thank you both, so much.  
> Anyways. Hope you guys enjoy it.

In the following thirty minutes, they chatted, getting to know the little survivor. At first, the child was really insecure about saying things about herself but as Wanda asked her questions, she answered, as much as she could. They discovered that Victoria was really Victoria Elizabeth Jenkins. Her family had moved from the United Kingdom and was just about to start a new life in Netherlands. As the girl’s would only start school in a month, their parents decided on a family trip. They took a train to Germany and from there rent a car and drive to Austria and Switzerland. At that point, she stopped talking and looked at the ground, falling into a long silence. Quietly, she let out a yawn. Helen, then, announced it was time to go back to her room.

“I don’t want to.” She mumbled, biting her lip “I want to stay with Rosie.”

“Victoria…” Helen started, but Wanda held a hand up, a sign to let her handle it. 

“Come here, princess.” Victoria slowly came by the bed and Wanda, with Natasha’s help, brought herself to sit on the bed “You are tired.” As the girl shook her head denying, the teenager interrupted “Hey, hey. Don’t lie. I am tired too. And it’s ok. Tomorrow we’ll see each other again, ok? I promise. Now, try and sleep, ok? I’ll be right here tomorrow, waiting for you.”

The girl signed a small ‘yes’ with her head and held the Doctor’s hand out of the room, not without looking back and waving at Wanda first, waiting to see her waving back, with a small smile. As soon as she disappeared behind the door, the Scarlet Witch hit the head back in her pillow, not minding the pain that caused. Her hands covered her face in desperation and her all the strength she had in front of Victoria seemed to simply fade away. Natasha leaned forward in order to understand what was happening.

“Wanda? Wanda. What’s wrong?” 

“I told her I am Rosie. How could I do that? What the fuck is wrong with me? I am not Rosie!”

“You just wanted to do what’s best.”

“By telling her I’m someone I’m not – even worse, I’m her dead sister? I can see the ‘best’ part here!”

“Wanda, you…”

“No, don’t justify my acts. How could I do that?” she felt furious with herself for doing that. Her mind was racing and she felt as her breathing accelerated. “How could I be so dumb? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” each time she repeated the word ‘stupid’, she would slap her own face with the good hand.

Nat acted fast, jumping to her side and getting a hold on her hands. The girl tried to fight, but it was useless. The Black Widow had her pinned down. “Wanda, sweetheart, listen to me. Breathe, slow and deeply.” Natasha’s voice made way into her head and she tried to follow the instructions. “You’re fine. What you did, that was really great of you. Wanda, she’s alone. She’s been alone who knows how long and now she has the chance to get her elder sister back. Wouldn’t you do the same, if you had the chance?”  
Wanda closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing and just nodded at Nat’s question. She knew she would. She’d give anything to have Pietro back. She felt the woman’s hands freeing hers and opened her eyes. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Nat couldn’t help to smile and slowly caress the girl’s hair with her finger once more. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain? Any headaches?”  
“No, I’m fine.” She looked down for a second “You called me sweetheart.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t really notice. Is it bad?”

“No, no! It’s… It’s really nice, actually.”

“Oh. Good, then.”

They smiled at each other. Wanda thought about saying something. It was in the tip of her tongue, she opened her mouth to say it, but, at that moment, someone knocked at the door. “Come in”

Bruce’s head popped in “Hi. Doctor Cho asked me to take a look at you, is it ok?”

“Sure, alright.”

The man walked around the room, asking her questions and reading the notes on her file. Natasha sit back and took this moment to observe the girl. Loving was a thing she struggled to understand. She didn’t know if it was her maternal instinct or just a little bit of pity for her, but after Wanda lost her brother, the woman felt like she needed to stick around, watch over her. She was raised to believe that love is weakness and now she was starting to question that. She thought about Clint, she thought about Wanda. Maybe she was meant to love, after all.

“Nat?” Bruce’s voice pulled her back down to earth and she realized she had been looking at the same spot for the last minutes. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, yes. Sure. My mind flew away.”

“Alright, then. Well, everything seems in order. Are you still feeling headaches?”

“I am.” Nat shot her a glare and she pretended she didn’t see – she had told the woman earlier she wasn’t feeling anything anymore but the pain was increasing drastically and she couldn’t pretend anymore. “I’m feeling sick.”

“That’s a symptom of the concussion. Don’t worry, it’s completely normal. I’ll have a nurse bring some Tylenol and Dimenhydrinate, which is basically Dramamine. Apart from that, you should be fine in the next few days and rest as much as you can, for at least a week. I think you’re ready to be discharged tomorrow afternoon.”

“That’s amazing. Thank you so much, Bruce.” He smiled at Nat and turned again to Wanda. “And, kid. Please don’t scare us like that again.”

“I promise.” He winked and left the room

The Black Widow was trying her hardest to contain herself, but she just couldn’t. “You lied.”

“I know. I’m so sorry. Damn.”

“Why did you do that?”

“I just didn’t want to worry you.”

“Wanda.” Contrary to what she had imagined, the ginger wasn’t mad. Her voice carried nothing but preoccupation. “I’m here to help and take care of you and I can’t do that if you lie to me.”

“I… Nat, I’m not your problem.”

“You are not a problem.” She sat on the bed, by her side and holding the girl’s good hand “You need to start trusting people, kid.”

“You don’t.”

“I know. And I want to be better than me.”

This time, Wanda was the one who couldn’t get control on herself and, ignoring her wounds, pulled herself against Natasha’s body, embracing her with the strength she had left. The first seconds, the red-haired was surprised but didn’t take long for her to carefully hold the girl back. Wanda felt safe in Nat’s arms, as if nothing bad could ever hit her there and all the pain could be drowned from her, forever. To Natasha, there were two new feelings: to take care of someone and to let someone see this side of her. It could last forever and she wouldn’t mind it.

Forever, though, ended too soon. A nurse entered the room in order to give Wanda the medicine Bruce had ordered. He gave her a plastic cup filled with water and a pill of Tylenol, under the instructions to call him in about an hour if the pain refused to back down. Much to her dismay, the Dimenhydrinate came in an intravenous solution. 

“Isn’t there a pill of Dramamine I could take?” As the nurse shook his head and explained why intravenous was the best option for her at the moment, Wanda’s face went pale and she closed her fingers against the Black Widow’s hand tightly. Her brain couldn’t make sense of it all at once, but it was a fast connection: was Wanda afraid of needles? As soon as the worker came near her and Natasha had to pull away from the teenager, the suspicions were confirmed. Nat laughed to herself, from all the things she thought Wanda might be scared, needles weren’t on her list. Walking to the other side of the bed, she sat once again by the girl’s side mumbling the lyrics to a lullaby she used to listen when she was very, very young, even before the Red Room trainings started and it was enough to take a bit of the girl’s attention from the sting. The nurse smiled and left.

“Thanks.” Wanda mumbled slowly, trying to distract herself as much as she could from the thing in her arm.

“Not for that.”

The rest of the night went by slowly. After around thirty minutes, all the liquid was running through her veins and another nurse came to take the serum bag off her. As a side effect, Wanda felt as if she was really high and Natasha could definitely notice. The older laughed, watching as she asked if her fingers looked uneven or what she thought about life in Mars, but she also watched out for her, making her eat the soup the hospital team gave her and keeping her hydrated.

She blacked out halfway through watching some trashy TV Show about zombies. Natasha smiled, straightened her cover so she wouldn’t wake up feeling cold and finally getting from the bed to the visitor’s couch. She stole one last look at Wanda, making sure she wasn’t in need of anything else and stretched her body as she could in the limited space. She closed her eyes and prayed, silently, that her nightmares wouldn’t bother either her or Wanda and drifted into sleeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, basically that's it. It's a short chapter, I know. I promise I'll try harder on the next one. Sorry  
> If you like it, kudos and comments are much apreciatted.  
> Also, if you have any prompts for the next chapters, I'll try and follow it.  
> See you. x


	6. Heartbreak Warfare

She was supposed to be discharged from the medical center in the next morning but she didn't woke up. The chief nurse of the morning, a woman with deep dark eyes and a big smile, explained to a worried Natasha that this was a normal reaction as Dramamine was known for this side effect, and that she'd only be discharged after she woke up, at the end of the day . The girl slept as the nurses changed her bandages and verified her improvements and only woke up around lunch time. Feeling groggy, she groaned while rubbing her eyes to make sure she was really awake.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." Natasha received a grumble in answer. She was sitting on a little counter with a plate of lasagna Steve had brought to her and responded with a laugh, standing up. "C'mon kid, time to wake up. How are you feeling? And if you lie to me, I promise you I'll give you and reason to feel pain."

Wanda had a smirk on her face. "My arm hurts a bit, but nothing extreme. The headache is gone, though. And I don't feel sick."

"That's good, kid. The nurses say you're ready to go back to real life."

"I'm discharged?" Wanda's eyes seemed to glow while her mind worked around six words, over and over: 'no more needles no more doctors'

"You'll be, by tonight." Nat tried to suppress a smile but it was in vain. The teen managed to melt her heart every time. "There's some food for you. " 

"I'm not hungry."

"You got to eat."

"I... I can eat later. Maybe... I don't know... Later."

Natasha raised one eyebrow, looking at her. "Wanda, what's going on? Why won't you eat?"

"I'm just not hungry. That's all." he looked at the floor, avoiding looking Natasha in the eyes at any cost. The Black Widow had seen Wanda lying before and she was good at it. She acted natural as if it was nothing important, being able to even deceive her . But this was different. She was lying but it was something personal. Something she shouldn't be lying about.

"Well, too bad. You need to eat. Doctor's orders." If Wanda could lie, so could she. "C'mon, kid. Sit straight." Nat moved fast, bringing her a tray with a bowl of chicken noodle soup, an apple and a plate with steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes and some minced beef. Wanda looked at it, turned to the woman and was about to repeat to her she wasn't hungry but as she saw the severe look on Natasha's face, she turned back to the food again. She grabbed the spoon among the plastic cutlery and, once again, hesitated. "Wanda." The strict tone in the woman's voice allowed no questioning. It took some time, but, finally, she gave in and started to take the soup.

The woman stood by the teen side, shaking off any complains that she was full until she was sure that the amount of food had been really enough to make her feel satisfied. 

"I'm still tired."

"Take a nap. We'll head out as soon as you wake up."

The girl went back to her bed and five minutes later, was asleep. Nat focused on finishing her own lunch, groaning to realize it was cold. Luckily enough, it was still delicious.

When she woke up, the afternoon was almost in its end. The woman was lying in the couch, reading a book named "The Art Of War", which made Wanda laugh with the irony. The Black Widow stared at her with a questioning look but she made a sign for the woman to let it go, which she did. Then she helped Wanda to get on her feet and told her to go to the bathroom and change clothes, giving her a dress Clint had picked up from her room.

Being back at the Avengers facility was the closest Wanda got to a home now. In all honesty, the girl didn't know how was she supposed to feel about that. As she dressed, her mind wondered to what would be of her life now. Train and be back at her old routine? And what about Victoria? What would Fury do to her? He wouldn't toss her on the street, would he? No, he couldn't. In her mind, Wanda made herself a promise: If she had assumed the role of Victoria's older sister, that's what she would be. Over her dead body they'd be taking her away. Nothing would make her go through losing another sibling. Neither of them. No matter what, they'd be together.

She left the bathroom to find Nat had already packed her things. She was sitting, signing some papers and Doctor Cho was right beside her. "Hey Wanda." Helen walked towards the girl and gave her a hug. "Ready to go?"

"Sure. Although I'll miss not having Tony's playlist played out loud during the afternoon." the three of them laughed together and, when they stopped, the teen took a long breathe before finally taking the courage to open her mouth . "Doctor. How about Victoria? Is she discharged as well?"

"Oh. Well. Supposedly yes. She was to be discharged even before you."

"And?"

"We can't discharge her without someone to sign the consent for her."

"Ok, then. I'll do it. I'll sign."

Helen let out a sigh. "I wish I could let you, dear, but you can't take the responsibility for her as a minor."

"And if no one signs?"

"Then it's up to Fury."

The Scarlet Witch felt her heart sink in her chest. She couldn't let Victoria. She just couldn't. Her mind floated to all the possible ways of escaping through the emergency exits. But she didn't had to think anymore.

"I'll sign" Natasha understood the fear in Wanda's eyes. She knew that if Nick Fury was involved, chances were that they'd never see her again. The child would probably finish in an orphanage with her memory wiped clean. Helen nodded and left the room. 

"Thank you, Nat."

"She deserves a life back, not one-way ticket to an orphanage."

"What will we say to the others?"

"We'll figure that later. We'll find a way, don't worry."

In no time, Helen was back with papers and with Victoria hiding behind her legs. The girl's eyes shone as they reached the room and ran to Wanda's arms, nearly knocking both of them to the ground. The Black Widow was fast to prevent the accident. "Hey, printsessa. Go easy on your sister, she's still recovering." the kid nodded her understanding, letting go of Wanda and jumped on Natasha, getting her body lifted into the woman's lap. "How was your night? Di you sleep well?" the girl gave her a smile, making an affirmative sign with her head and Nat knew she was totally bewitched by the child. "Oh, I couldn't sleep. Your sister snored all night long, can you believe?" her laugher filled the room was the sweetest thing. Doctor Cho gave Natasha the papers to sign and, putting the girl on the ground, the woman signed.

"All set. You're free to go."

"Thank you so much, Doctor Cho" Wanda smiled and raised her hand for the other woman to shake. Helen dismissed the hand and hugged her.

"We're so happy everything is fine. Don't you ever do that again, ok?"

"Ok. I promise."

"Good." The doctor let her go and kneeled in front of the kid "Now you. If you ever need anything, just ask for one of them to call me, ok?" the girl nodded and Helen kissed her hair "Good girl." she stood up to face Natasha. "They're all yours, Agent Romanoff. Take good care of them."

" I will. Thanks, Helen."

"Any time."

And with that, Helen was gone. Nat gave Victoria her hand to hold and Wanda a smile. 

"Where are we going?" Victoria had whispered in hope only the teen listened

She wasn't supposed to listen, it was to be just between the two of them, but Nat couldn't hold back a smile when she heard Wanda's answer.

"Home, kid. We're going home."

 

 

It had been surprisingly easy to take the kid into the headquarter. Banner was asleep, in his usual afternoon nap and Stark only gave them a look, still quiet around Natasha. Steve, Thor and Pepper were sitting in the living room, chatting and gave them a warm welcome. Victoria showed to be really shy and hid behind Wanda's legs.

"Oh, and you got the kid conscious now. It's ok, don't be afraid." He kneeled, looking at her. The girl, then, looked at Wanda and Natasha, who gave she a nod in encouragement, and carefully started to leave her hiding spot. "That's it. What's your name, darling?" the God seemed to be charmed by the girl as the Black Widow was.

"It's... Victoria."

"Well, hello, Victoria. I'm Thor Odinson, from Asgard." 

He held his hand to take her and slowly leaned to kiss her hand. Curiously, she approached him, a little more secure. "I like your hair."

"I like your too" he said with a laugh. She took his hand "Let me introduce you. This is Pepper."

"Hi, beautiful." The woman smiled and waved which the kid did back

"And this is Steve."

"I know you, don't I?" Captain America looked at her, smiling. He had a bandage in his neck and spoke slowly.

Unexpectedly, Victoria let go of Thor's hand and went to Steve, stopping in front of him "Thank you for trying to save me."

"You were in the Academy!" his eyes widened as she said yes.. "Why didn't you went out?"

She pointed at her leg in a cast and Nat was who explained "Her leg got stuck under the wreckage"

"Oh Victoria. I'm glad you're ok." He lifted her to his lap. shaking off when Pepper told him he shouldn't do that. Natasha and Wanda sat down, updating Steve about everything that happened since he had been shot. He reprimanded Wanda's attitude but couldn't hide an astonished look and when Victoria told them she was an angel, they all smiled. Wanda took note of it, trying to understand how could she do that. How could a infant they've just met could feel such a part of the family. She was so lost in her own thoughts, that she didn't even realized she was yawning. Natasha did.

"Ok, I think it's time for you girls to eat something and go to sleep. C'mon."

She headed to the kitchen and again shot Wanda a glare that opened no space to an argument. Natasha made the girls sandwiches with a mental note to go out and buy something to eat, as the fridge was nearly empty. She also took note to Google what 5 year-old kids eat, since she had no clue.

"Ok then. Wanda." the woman reached for her pockets and took out two charts of pills, one of Tylenol and the other of Dramamine, handing them over to the girl. "Doctor Cho gave me these. If you feel headaches or nausea, take one. Victoria, you'll sleep in my room tonight, ok?" 

The young girl smiled and ran towards Wanda's leg, hugging her. She laughed and slowly kneeled, giving her a decent hug. "Sleep tight, ok princess?" The teenager put a kiss to her head before standing up. "Thank you for looking after me, Natasha."

"You can call me Nat. And don't think I'm done with you, you're under my web now. Good night, Wanda."

"Good night."

 

 

Alone in her room, Wanda found herself with her thoughts as companions. For the past four days, it was the first time she really had to herself which was good and terrible at the same time. She changed into her pajamas, avoiding any kind of sudden movements and the pain they could bring. The girl lie down in her bed and felt as every single triggering thought she was preventing, for Natasha and for Victoria, came to her. She thought about the time in HYDRA, endless experiments and excruciating pain burning her. She thought about the fight against Ultron. She thought about her parents and Stark's bomb and the two days they've spent thinking they were going to die. About the fall and the wind in her face and how it reminded her of the times Pietro would hold her in his arms and go anywhere. Most of all, she thought about him.

Pietro. Smart, funny, sarcastic, stupid Pietro. Her brother. Her Pietro.

His absence in her world was painful enough to make her feel lost. She couldn't even say goodbye to him. She said 'go'. How could she have taken for granted like this? How could she just let him go? She wanted to help, but at what cost?

Wanda didn't cry. She hadn't shed a tear for her brother since the day he died. When nights got rough, she just felt the pain and curled up in a fetal position. Thinking and thinking and thinking again until it was morning again or she'd pass out in exhaustion. Sleeping would mean nightmares. She knew she was safe now. She knew she had things to look after, people who cared about her. She considered talking to Natasha or even Pepper, but that was her problem and a problem that couldn't be solved. Red glows of light started to leave her hand. Uh-oh. She needed to calm down in order to avoid tearing the building apart.

She was tired and, truthfully, she just wanted a sound sleep. Her head floated to last night, the feeling of being just lying there and thinking about life in Mars. She wanted to feel that again. She wanted to question the universe, not losing control. She made a decision. Taking the Dramamine from her table, she looked at the pills, breathing deeply. Helen said she should take one but she needed the effect to be immediate. She swallowed three pills and focused on her breathing, trying to control her powers. Around twenty minutes later, she started to feel her head heavy and quickly slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be out last night. Ops. Sorry about the delay.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading, you all, hope you've enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo... This was my first fic here, so go easy on me? I hope you guys like it.  
> Kudos and comments are highly appreciated and encouraged. If you have a suggestion, an idea, a prompt, just type it away!  
> Thank you all for reading!


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